Environmental storytelling was certainly not invented by Half-Life, but it is considered to be one of the earliest first-person shooters that perfected the formula. Some players do not like cutscenes getting in the way of gameplay, and with environmental storytelling, developers can do so much more with so little.
8 RPGs That Make Every Other Story-Driven Game Feel Shallow
These RPGs deliver some of the deepest narratives in gaming, and you'll be hard-pressed trying to find better after playing them.
While the following games may also feature cutscenes, their worlds also have a story to tell. They may not be as heightened as the masterful storytelling in Half-Life, but there are good secrets dwelling in the backgrounds of these games. All players have to do is pay attention instead of barreling ahead like a semi-truck out of control on an icy highway.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The Wreckage Of Your Past Teammates
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a rich story that is set up well and is well-acted. Expedition 33 is the next group going after an entity known as the Paintress, who kills an entire age group once a year in a ceremony called the Gommage.
Players don’t need extra material to understand what’s going on, but the visual aids in the world certainly help. As players explore story and side areas, they will find bodies, notes, and flags from past Expedition groups. Even the world map is filled with mysteries. It’s a nice extra way to show the dire need to stop the Paintress.
Elden Ring
More Lore Than Story
Elden Ring is not a game with a solid story told through a linear progression. Instead, its story is told vaguely through NPC interactions and more so through world-building. As players explore, they will find downed ruins, bosses, and treasure galore.
Depending on monster and boss encounters, they can piece together the stories in these areas from adventurers past coming to the same areas and dying in their attempt at glory. Like a lot of the game, the lore is left up to interpretation, which has led to some great Reddit and other forum discussions over the years.
Tom Clancy’s The Division
A Rushed Exit
- Developer(s)
- Massive Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Tom Clancy’s The Division has a core mission without a lot of narrative set pieces beyond the city itself: New York City. Players can explore abandoned streets and buildings that all tell their own stories of how people had to flee in a rush once the viral pandemic started.
How the various factions build up their fortresses is also interesting, like former firefighters who have now become terrorists, using fire as their power source. While the city isn’t absolutely huge, there’s enough there for players to fill in some narrative blanks.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
The Shinra Power Struggle
- ESRB
- T for Teen due to Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Final Fantasy 7 Remake takes place entirely in Midgar, which is only about five hours, if that, of the original Final Fantasy 7. Thanks to the remake’s efforts, it does a much better job addressing the issues slightly touched on in the PS1 version.
10 RPGs Where the World Doesn’t Care If You Finish the Story
Whether the heroes win or lose, life goes on in these RPG worlds that don't care about the final outcome.
Those who live at the top are extremely wealthy, while players can see just how desperate people are in the slums. From building placement to how many NPCs hang around alleys, it’s clear that a majority of Midgar is suffering, along with just how much of the planet Shinra, the power company in control of the city, has drained.
NieR: Automata
The Moose Are Thriving
NieR: Automata begins when two battle androids are sent to Earth to survey how robots have reclaimed it. While the human apocalypse was nasty, Earth itself is thriving, painting a different picture. Trees are starting to grow back, there are babbling brooks, and even some animals like Moose are prevalent, which can even be mounted.
A lot of robotic enemies will want to attack players, but there are also robotic strongholds wherein some want to live peacefully. It’s these areas that will help players see how robots have tried to use human resources and knowledge to start anew.
Fallout: New Vegas
Making Life Anew
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Fallout: New Vegas takes place in a more bleak apocalypse in the Nevada area, meaning there’s basically nothing but desert and ruins as far as the eye can see. Exploring forgotten motels and homes can help players understand what these places have gone through.
The best locations with amazing world-building are the various Vaults, like Vault 11’s sacrificial experiments. The core story of revenge can take players to some interesting places, but the individual location-based stories can be even more intriguing if players pay attention to terminal notes.
Horizon Forbidden West
How Far We’ve Come
Horizon Forbidden West is a much more lush version of the apocalypse, going from Colorado, which is where the first game took place, to the West Coast. The fun of this game’s exploration is finding iconic architecture now overgrown with greenery, like the Golden Gate Bridge.
Also, with the addition of the glider, it’s a lot easier to climb locations and then float down, getting a better view of the area to see what players should check out next. How these areas fell into ruin and who took them from various tribes to the robotic animals roaming around can be a fascinating peek into future history.
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins Of The Moon
The Horrors Of Tokyo Emerge
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon stars a young boy named Seto, who has to explore the ruins of Tokyo alone and with barely any protection. Based on weapon selections, like pipes, and the light system, the game can be likened to Silent Hill, but with RPG elements. Each encounter with an NPC or monster will be unsettling, from their designs to the way they act.
10 Story-Heavy RPGs With Villain Twists No One Saw Coming
Who doesn't love a good twists? These RPGs do a wonderful job at catching you off-guard with their unpredictable villain twists.
Each area, filled with messages or trash, is brimming with a dark aura, and the game will be more fascinating to explore for Western players who are a little less familiar with Japanese culture. It’s one of the more underrated gems still trapped on the Wii that didn’t get the recognition it deserved back when it launched.
Eastward
Pixel Art Like No Other
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Eastward’s attention to detail in its pixel-drawn characters and areas is astounding. Players may start in a boring mine, but once the adventure gets going and they can explore an overworld along with dungeons and towns, things heat up.
The game boasts some of the best graphics around, putting to shame fully 3D models and environments because of how much personality is packed into each environment. One of the standouts is New Dam City, a city dripping with colorful characters and business players that could spend hours just looking over, and they all help paint a world that is both in ruin and thriving.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom In The Mist
Robots In Disguise
- Developer(s)
- Adglobe, Live Wire
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a Metroidvania starring a young girl, Lilac, who has amnesia. She’s able to communicate with robots she finds around the environment, called Homunculi. She can use them sort of like Personas in the Persona series, serving as her way to attack enemies, with each Homunculi having unique abilities.
It’s a cool system assisted by an equally cool story surrounding each Homunculi, each more depressing than the last. The environments are also all nicely detailed, from ruined factories to crimson forests, forming a haunting narrative for those left alive.
9 RPGs You Didn’t Realize Had Branching Endings
Always expect the unexpected in RPGs, because you never know how things end, and that includes these games that surprise you with branching endings.